Green River Female Academy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Green River Female Academy
Location in Kentucky
Location	204 Goebel Avenue, Elkton, Kentucky
Built	1835
Architect	D. V. Robinson
Architectural style	Federal-Greek Revival Transitional
Added to NRHP	December 06, 1990

The Green River Female Academy is an old school building in Todd County, Kentucky. It shows us how people thought about education for everyone in the early 1800s in the United States. The building itself is a cool mix of old styles like Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival architecture.

Building the Academy

The Green River Female Academy was built for its owners and leaders. Construction started in 1835 and finished in 1836. Many skilled workers, like masons and carpenters, helped build it.

The school stands on a 1.5-acre piece of land in Elkton. It is a large building with five sections across the front. The Green River Female Academy is special because it's the only school from before the Civil War in its area that is still standing today.

How the School Looks

The building was designed by David V. Robinson. Jesse Russell and Daniel Grumbly were in charge of building it. The school mostly uses two styles: Federal and Greek Revival. But it also has some older Georgian style parts.

Federal Style Details

The outside of the building mainly shows the Federal style. This style focuses on the middle part of the building. The Green River Academy has a balanced look. It does not have a brick belt around it, which was common in the older Georgian style. It also doesn't look like a Greek temple, which was popular later.

Georgian and Greek Revival Touches

A triangle-shaped roof over the middle section is a classic Georgian feature. The stone carvings above the windows and door have round decorations. These round decorations are a clear sign of the Greek Revival style.

Inside the Academy

Inside, the building has a main hallway that goes through all three floors. The layout of the rooms is almost the same on every floor. The builders might have used special design books. These books, by Asher Benjamin and Owen Biddle Jr., probably helped them plan the school's look.

Life at the School

People bought shares, like pieces of ownership, to help pay for the school. The academy became very well-known in the 1800s. Back then, Kentucky and North Carolina had some of the best schools in the country.

A Special Teacher

In the early to mid-1800s, the school's principal was Lucinda H. Dickey. She did something unusual for her time. She taught enslaved people how to read and write. This was not accepted by society back then.

Changes Over Time

The school was only for girls until 1853. After that, young men were also allowed to attend. Many students from the Academy went on to study at famous colleges. Some went to Yale and Columbia.

A famous person who attended the school was James Clark McReynolds. He later became a Justice on the United States Supreme Court. He did very well in his studies under Major Robert Crumbaugh. Major Crumbaugh was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy.

The School's Decline

The Green River Academy stayed important until the late 1880s. Around that time, Elkton became a big center for education. Many new colleges and schools opened there. These included the Vanderbilt Training School and Bethel College.

Because of all these new schools, fewer students came to the Green River Academy. Eventually, the school closed down. The city of Elkton bought most of the shares. The building was then used as a public school for the community. Later, the shares were sold off, and the building became a home for Judge Walton Forgy.

Saving the Academy

Today, the Green River Academy Preservation Society takes care of the building. In 2011, Governor Steve Beshear gave the society a grant of $500,000. This money was used to help restore and fix up the historic building.